Hot-meal server.



U. STIRN.

HOT MEAL SERVER.

APPLICATION FILED MARJY, 1914.

Patented Bea-15, 191% 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 r l I IWHUHHHIEII INVENTOR. FHA'RLES 577R WITNESSES ATTORNEY G. STIRN.

HOT MEAL SERVER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17.1914.

Patented D60. 15, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w @W m W no mg 3 WITNESSES proper temperature at the cnaunns srrnu, or sAN FRANCISCO, carlrronnm.

HOT-MEAL SERVER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES STIRN, a subject of the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented" new and useful Improvements in Hot-Meal Servers, is a specification;

In institutions where a'large number of persons have to be served with meals at the sametime, it is necessary, in order that the food or liquid so served may be, at the time of the meal, that a considerable number of persons "be employed in placing such food or liquid upon the table. employed for such of which the following purposes, then much of the food and liquid becomes cool by the time all the portions thereof have been placed upon the table.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus by which portions of food and liquid may be served long beforev and yet be at a proper temthe meal time, perature when such time arrives, thereby greatly reducing the number of persons re-' quired for serving the meals.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus bywhich a number of persons seated at the same table can readily help themselves to portions of food or liquid, thus dispensing with the necessity of employing Waiters for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken plan view of a circular table embodying my invention; Fig.2 is a broken side View of the same, the heating box being removed; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a heating box on the line 33 ,of' Fig.1; Figs. 'and 5 are views in different positions of portions of a food-containing vessel; Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken plan view of the center of the table; Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section of the same, a heat-' ingbox and food-containing vessel being shown in side elevation.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a circular table, having a central circular opening, in which is fixedly secured by brackets 2 a cylindrical housing 3, having a closed bottom and an open top. The upper edge. of the .wall of the housing 3 is bent inwardly and downward to form from which depend at suitable intervals bearings 5 for shafts of rollers 6, six being here shown. Upon said rollers is rotatably supported a hot water receptacle best Specification of Letters Patent. 6

If too few persons are.

' thebox while it is being carried.

a flange 4,,

Patented Dec. 15, 1914.

Application filed March 17, 1914. $eria1 No. 825,243.

shown in Fig. 3, having handlesS by which it can be conveniently carried, and the top 9 is formed with depressions 10, to receive food-containing vessels 11, of which the covers are provided with lugs 12.. (Figs. 4

and 5) which extend through slots 13in brackets 14 secured upon'the food-containing vessels and at the same time form stops to engage the lower portions of said brackets and prevent said covers from swinging too far rearwardly. Thus said covers, when raised tov a vertical position at the rear of the vessels, will stand in said vertical position while food is being taken from the vessels. I

The hot water receptacle is divided into compartmentsv by perforated partitions 16 through which water can circulate, the purpose of these partitions being to prevent the -too rapidflow of water from side to side of Said hot water receptacle can be filled and emptied through an opening closed by a plug 17.

When the hot water receptacle is deposited uponv the r'ollers-6, its bottom comes into contact with the upper surface of an electric heater 18 supported upon springs 19, which in turn rest on a plate 21 supported upon a bar 22 attached to twodiametrically opposite bearings Electricity is supplied from any suitable source to said heater 18 by means of a conductor 23, a conductor .24: leading therefrom through-one of two insulating sleeves into 'a holder 26. Through the other insulating sleeve extends a conductor 29 leading to said source of supply,

said conductors 24and 29 being connected I respectively, within the holder 26, to conductors 27 leading to spring plate contacts 28. In the conductor 29 is interposed a selfinduction" coil 31 and a switch 32. l Said switch is adapted to be closed by a plug 34 on a stem 35 normally raised by a spring 37, and guided in abearing 38 secured to the bar 22, and depressed when the hot wa-. ter receptacleis placed-in position, the bottom of which then rests upon a ball 39 in a bearingil, the ballin turn the upper end of the stem 36. contact plates are adapted to a slidable bar 12,

Said spring be closed by pressing upon sliding in guideways in the lower ends of hangers 43 depending.

lever carries a weight 49, and a-third arm of said lever carries a pin 51 movable 111 a slot- 52 in a vertical link 53, the upper end of which is pivotally'connected, as shown at 54, to the free end of a thermostaticstrip 56, having a fixed end 57.

When the hot water receptacle is not in use, the opening therefor is closed by a circular closure 58 made of such material that the table does not then present an unusual appearance. To enable this closure 58 to be readily removed from the opening thereis provided a stem 59 projecting upwardly from the end of a lever 61 fulcrumed I a handle .63, which handle can be depressed to raise the stem 59 and thus raise the closure slightly above the level of the table to permit it to be taken hold of and removed. When it has been so removed the hot water receptable is placed in position, thereby closing the switch 32 and completing the The electric circuit through the heater. heater then begins to impart its heat to the hot water in the receptacle and compensates for the heat conducted to the food-containing vessels and radiated from said vessels and from the hot water receptacle.

Should the generation of heat be excessive, then the thermostatic strip 56 changes its form, so as'to depress the link 53, which depression causes the pin 51 to be depressed, and the lever 16 to be swung past a vertical position. As soon. as said lever has moved slightly past the. vertical position, the weight 19 assists the lever to complete its vibration, thereby effecting a quick withdrawal of the circuit closing bar 42 from between the contact plates 28 and preventing sparking. v Stops 64 limit the swinging movement of the lever 46; When, the housing becomes suflici'ently cold, the reverse action takes place, that is, the thermostatic -strip takes its former shape, causing the lever to swing in the reverse direction, and the circuit closing bar to again close the contact between said spring plates, so that the heating of the water recommences.

In use the hot water receptacles 7 are filled with water at about boiling temperature, and the food-containing vessels are placed in the depressions 10 therefor in the 'tops of the receptacles 7, which are then placed in the openings in the tables. This can be done by a very small number of attendants even for a large'number of tables since the food can never become cool before use. The heating vessel can be rotated to enable each person seated at the table to help himself in succession to the various kinds of food contained in .the dishes 11.

It will readily be seen that this device effects a great saving in the number of atat 62 and having at the other end .said receptacle having 'tendants required to serve the food, as well central circularopening, a housing in said opening, an approximately cylindrical hot water receptacle in said opening, the top of said receptacle having cavities to receive food-containing vessels, means for rotatably supporting said receptacle in said housing, and an electric heater in said housing located in proximityto the bottom of said receptacle when so supported.

2. In combination with a table having a central circular opening, a housing in said opening, an approximately cylindrical hot water receptacle in said opening, the top of v cavities to receive food-containing vessels, means for rotatably supporting said receptacle in said housing, and an electric spring-supported heater in said housing located in proximity to the bottom of said receptacle when so supported:

3. In combination with a table having a central circular opening, a housing in said opening, an approximately cylindrical hot water receptacle in said opening, the top of said receptacle having cavities to receive food-containing vessels, means for rotatably supporting saidreceptacle in said housan electric heater in said housing located in proximity to the bottom of said receptacle when so supported, and springsupported means for closing the circuit through said heater arranged to be operated by the bottom of said receptacle when so supported.

ie-In .cb 'bination with a table having a central circular opening, a housing in said opening, an approximately cylindrical hot waterreceptacle in said opening, the top of said receptacle having cavities to receive food-containing vessels, means for rotatably supporting said receptacle in said housing, an electric heater in said housing located in proximity to the bottom of said receptacle when so supported, a device for making and breaking the circuit through said heater, a thermostat in ,said housing, and an operative connection between said device and thermostat whereby the device makes or breaks said circuit dependently upon the change in shape of the thermostat.

In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 

